There are some very special places in the world that as soon as you discover
they exist you just know you have to go there. Just as if you somehow already
belong there. As if you are already late, and you get butterflies in your
stomach just from the thought of getting there one day . And yes, we
are finally doing it!! :)

Our Pan-American trip has started on February 8, 2006. As of today, the
itinerary is still the same:

starting in Newport Beach, California (about 40 miles south
from Los Angeles, sweet home for the last 6+ years),
then crossing Mexico and hopefully hopping to Cuba (if
only they have car ferry service between Mexico and Cuba),
continuing through Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica
and Panama,
from there perhaps to Colombia,
or possibly straight to Ecuador
and the Galapagos,
then through Peru
and Chile from where the road will take us all the way down to
Tierra del Fuego (a little place at the end of the world called
Ushuaia);
then back up to Buenos Aires, Argentina,
continuing to Rio & Sao Paulo, Brazil (unfortunately, too
late for the Carnival..)
and (let this be the will of all the Higher Powers!..), taking a flight
home from Rio to Lithuania.

Progress indicator:

8000+ miles :-)

We estimate the total of 12,500 miles (20,000km) by land + 680 miles (1100
km) by air/water in 2-3 months.

We have already started posting the news reports and photos and will continue
doing so as often as we manage to get access to the Internet. Keep visiting
our page, and we promise to make this trip across the Americas an unforgettable
adventure not only for us but for you as well! Next thing you know, you
will be packing for the Pan-American trip :)

Back to reality
Up to now, we have come across 5 major reasons why you should think twice
before driving through Central and South America:

1. Exotic diseases. Click here for
more info.
2. Traffic conditions. Having visited several Latin countries, we
had to acknowledge the fact that there is no such thing as traffic rules
there whatsoever, but the
info about bus drivers in Peru still makes us a little nervous
3. Civil wars. Constantly changing political regimes just seem to
have become a favorite national pastime in most of those countries
last one being forced resignation of the Bolivian president in June 2005.
4. Drug trade related crimes. Due to supply/demand laws this problem
is very unlikely to vanish anytime soon. Unfortunately, the most we can
currently do is say NO to drugs...
5. Good old robberies, muggings, pick-pocketing, and worse... But
these things can happen anywhere else in the world, too!

Sounds like lots of "fun", and means absolutely nothing compared
to those 10 thousand reasons why you should go there! :)